Jay Fielder '94 did not play Saturday night, but he still might have moved one step closer to making the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League.
Fiedler, the Dartmouth varsity quarterback the last three years, is fighting with second-year pro Preston Jones for the Eagle's third-string quarterback spot.
Two weeks ago, Fielder completed 9 of 18 passes for 108 yards against the New York Jets, a game that Jones did not play in.
Jones was scheduled to play the fourth quarter of the Eagle's Saturday game against the Cincinnati Bengals but did not.
Second-string quarterback Bubby Brister played the third and fourth quarters. Eagles Spokesman Mike Gilbert said that the coaching staff decided that Brister needed the work in the fourth quarter, so they did not put Jones it.
"He was scheduled to play, but it was one of those timing things, where entering the fourth quarter they wanted to give Bubby more playing time," Gilbert said from the Eagle's offices in Philadelphia, Penn.
The Eagles final pre-season game is Friday night against the Atlanta Falcons. Gilbert said the coaches have not decided which quarterbacks will play when in that game.
Gilbert said the Eagles might make a decision on the third-string quarterback position today. If not, the Eagles final round of cuts is on Sunday.
Gilbert said it is "really hard to say" when the Eagles would make their decision. "It's a coaching decision," he said.
But Gilbert did say Fiedler has been impressive throughout training camp.
"He's had a really good camp and performed well in the games, and the coaches like him," Gilbert said. "It's just a matter of wait-and-see."
Eagles head coach Rich Kotite recently praised Fiedler's work in an article in the Valley News.
"Jay is a player we thought highly of at the time of the NFL draft, and when he wasn't drafted, we were anxious to bring him to our camp," Kotite told the Valley News.
"Ever since he has been here, he has done a lot of good things. He has shown a great deal of poise and arm strength in practices and in games," he said.
In two pre-season games, Fielder has completed 12 of 24 passes for 148 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.
In one quarter of action, Jones was 6 for 13 with 50 yards and an interception.
If Fiedler does make the team as a third-string quarterback, his primary job would be to act as the quarterback on the "scout team," where he would prepare the first-string defensive team for next week's opposing quarterback.
Fiedler will make $108,000 next year if he makes the team. He was signed as an non-drafted free agent after the NFL draft in late April.
In an earlier interview with The Dartmouth, Fiedler said training camp is going well.
"It's going real well," he said. "I'm getting work in practice every day, mostly on the scout team."
He also said he was not overawed about playing against other NFL players.
"Well, it wasn't much different than what I expected," he said. "It is a lot different than playing for the Ivy League, that's for sure. The games are a heck of a lot faster and the players are bigger and faster, but it's still a football game."
Fiedler led the Big Green to two Ivy League championships and a second-place finish during his three years as a varsity starter.
His junior year he led Dartmouth to the Ivy League Championship, throwing for 2,748 yards with 25 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He was named Ivy League player of the year and led all Division I-AA quarterbacks in passing efficiency.
